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Timeline for Middlesex County’s $66 million sports complex coming into focus

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Timeline for Middlesex County’s million sports complex coming into focus

Middlesex County is moving forward with plans for a new $66 million sports complex at Thomas Edison Park in Edison.

The county has set 10 a.m. Dec. 5 as the deadline for sealed bids for the project.

The Destination Athletic Complex at Thomas A. Edison Park, an anticipated $66 million project, is planned to feature 14 turf fields including a 500-foot cricket pitch, 16 tennis courts a new playground and comfort stations and pedestrian and bicycle pathways.

The project also includes lighting, bleachers, a fieldhouse for concessions, maintenance equipment and parking for 1,350 cars. The complex is expected to be used by county residents and visitors to address the anticipated growth of athletics and public recreation.

The notice to bidders comes just weeks after the county cleared a major hurdle in moving the project along.  

Thomas Edison Park occupies the site of the former Raritan Arsenal that was developed for military shipments during World War I and decommissioned in 1961. Acquired by the county for use as parkland in 1964 through the National Park Service’s Federal Lands to Parks Program, the property was repurposed, and construction of the park began in 1974.

Recently the National Park Service issued a finding of no significant impact after reviewing an environmental assessment of the proposed changes to the 161-acre park next to Middlesex College. That finding cleared the county to reimagine the park into a sports complex.

Meanwhile the Army Corps of Engineers maintains there is no unacceptable risk of exposure to munitions and explosives of concern for the Middlesex College area at the former Raritan Arsenal, a finding that came after site investigations and removal actions resulted in no unacceptable risks for human health or the environment. The public comment period on the Army Corps findings runs through Nov. 18.

The athletic complex is part of the county’s Community Innovation and Opportunity Strategic Investment Plan, announced in 2022.

The plan also envisions an open-air multipurpose community venue for concerts, cultural events and multiple sports including baseball, soccer and lacrosse; a workforce development and conference center; a new community park with a children’s educational amenity; a new student center featuring campus and community amenities; and a new Middlesex County Magnet School, the School of the Future.

Residents have raised questions about the cost and the traffic impact of the project on Woodbridge Avenue and Mill Road. Concerns also were raised about the removal of trees and the displacement of animals in the wooded areas, the impact on groundwater, and access to the park’s facilities.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

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